A Venusian eclipse?

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You probably missed it here in the cloudy Northwest, but those who had clear skies were treated to a neat sight Wednesday morning as the moon passed right in front of a very bright Venus. (Not really known as an "eclipse" but an "occultation."

Here is some video from YouTube of the event:

What made it doubly special was that while the moon was in crescent phase, so was Venus. (Yes, Venus goes through phases relative to us just like the moon does.)

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SEATTLE -- If Seattle was awarded a trophy for every heat record we've broken over the past year and a half...we'd have to build a new case. In fact, the "trophy" awarded Friday should probably be among the larger in the display shelf.

Firefighters, by the nature of their job, already have one of the hottest jobs you could imagine. But what about when Mother Nature brings blazing temperatures on the outside as well?

When a massive fire broke out in an apartment building on Queen Anne Hill on July 1 , firefighters were called in from as far away as Redmond, Shoreline and Bellevue as temperatures were sitting at 90 degrees. Why so many firefighters from all over? To make sure there were plenty on hand to rotate in and out so firefighters didn't overheat.

And with 90 degrees suddenly common this summer around Seattle, I wondered how local fire departments were dealing with the relentless heat, and how they manage to keep firefighters cool when their surroundings are burning up.